Large machines, such as, excavators, backhoes, front-end loaders, bulldozers, dump trucks and other such machines, may be used to carry out an assortment of earthmoving tasks. Examples of such tasks may be, digging, grading, loading, unloading and transporting materials from one location to another, however other tasks are possible. In some cases, these large machines may be used at mining sites, construction sites, road building sites, or other such job sites. Moreover, due to the complexity of the tasks and expansive size of job sites, a number of machines may be required to work together to get the job done. For example, an excavator may be used to dig a hole and a load a dump truck with the material removed from the newly created hole, while the dump truck may then transport the material and dump it at a second location. In order to reach efficiency targets and maintain a safe job site, machine operators and job site supervisors may need to monitor and analyze machine activity and behavior. Moreover, at complex job sites with multiple machines working in a single area it can be increasingly difficult for the job site supervisors to monitor and track the progress of each machine.
During normal machine operation, the operators may sit or stand at a control terminal containing the machine controls and other machine instrumentation. For example, controls such as a steering wheel, a joystick, levers and pedals may allow the operator to direct the machine to perform an assortment of tasks, however other controls may be required to operate the machine. Moreover, the operator may use other instrumentation to help control and monitor the machine, such as, image, motion, temperature, orientation sensors or any other known sensors. These sensors may provide the operator with additional machine and environmental data that, when combined with the machine controls, allow the operator to better perform certain tasks and operations. Alternatively, with the additional sensor data it may be possible for the operator to control the machine remotely from another job site location or even from an off-site location.
In order to complete tasks in an efficient manner, the additional sensor data may be used to help monitor and analyze the machine activity and behavior by equipment operators, job site supervisors or other interested individuals. For example, a machine operator may have a partially obstructed view of job site while sitting in the cab of the machine and therefore may find it advantageous to use the sensor data to help keep track of what they are doing. Alternatively, or additionally, the job site supervisor may be able to use the sensor data to determine a rate at which work is being done, how long it takes to complete a certain task and the operational status of certain equipment, however other uses are possible. In so doing, the job site supervisor may further use this data to adequately plan out resource requirements to complete a specific job. Moreover, equipment operators and job site supervisors may be able to review the data and apply the results to maximize efficiency through better planning of machine movements.
One method and apparatus for determining the loading of a bucket is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication, US 2008/0005938 to Aebischer et al., (“the '938 application”). The '938 application discloses a method for determining the load of an excavator bucket. The application more particularly relates to a method for determining the position of a load surface in an excavator bucket using a distance measuring camera and the determination of a load volume from the position of the load surface combined with the position and shape of the bucket. In order to determine the position of the bucket the method disclosed in the '938 application requires obtaining a distance measurement of at least three points along the upper bucket edge using a camera. Furthermore, in the method disclosed by the '938 application a load volume is determined by using the position of the load surface combined with the position and shape of the bucket.
Among other things, the '938 method and apparatus fail to provide a system for monitoring and analyzing machine movement and overall behavior. Furthermore, the method and apparatus disclosed in the '938 application fails to provide a solution that works with equipment from different manufacturers. These and other shortcomings of the prior art are addressed by this disclosure.